Head Chef, Kyle Knight.
Brought to you by the talented restaurateurs behind Societi Bistro on Orange Street and Societi Brasserie in Tokai, Josephine’s Cookhouse is newly opened in the historic Josephine’s Mill building, beside SAB Brewery.
The owners have tidied up the old venue, which was operated by Caveau, and made it warmer and more welcoming with new flooring and furniture, a redesigned kitchen and a tight focused menu that plays to the kitchen strengths of delivering fresh, free range and organic food to the tables.
Dried porcini with tomato sauce and a hint of chilli.
The setting and atmosphere is informal and casual. A roaring log fire crackles and blazes in the corner, bringing a much needed sense of warmth and homliness in these dreary Winter days.
Kyle Knight, a two year veteran with the Societi team, has devised a short punchy menu with plenty of daily specials.
The old boiler room is now the charcuterie room.
As I write, you could have chosen a stunning twice baked cauliflower and cheese souffle for a starter, or moreish roasted bone marrow, a choice of 6 pastas (try the baked semolina gnocchi), a daily anti pasta board or crispy squid.
Tonight’s mains specials are grilled lamb with roasted beetroot, watercress creme fraiche. You could also try pan fried soldier fish (green on the SASSI list) with Jerusalem artichokes, or a pulled pork salad with baby gem.
Bruschetta with bean salad.
The dish I tried that knocked me out was the roasted marrow on freshly baked sourdough bread. The pizzas are excellent, Kyle has a secret recipe for the dough that makes sure the bases are crispy while having plenty of texture without the lumpy dough. We also tried a delicious rib eye with excellent hand cut chips; crispy and golden on the outside and fluffy and tasting of actual potato on the inside.
Executive Chef Stefan Marais making Orecchiette Pasta. "It's theraputic", he says, "I feel very chilled after I make pasta".
Delicious food from a tight, daily fresh menu, in an informal casual setting. It’s going to be wonderful in Summer when the glass doors out over the river are opened. A great bar space upstairs beckons, as do a few other developments they have under their wings. They’ll be milling their own spelt grain there soon, right in the old mill. I cannot wait to try that bread.
They also do breakfasts.
Starters R37-48. Mains R56-110. Open 9am to 10pm.
Josephine’s Cookhouse
Boundary Road, Newlands.
021 686 1437
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[...] that they are just as good. All the pizza bases and pasta’s are made fresh each day- after all, Stef says it’s [...]
Had a pretty mediocre experience there last week. An inattentive waiter, food took ages to arrive, waiter hadn’t given us the correct information about the choices, took more than 20 minutes for waiter to appear with credit card machine because they couldn’t find paper for both machines, and certainly not value for money. I love Societi Bistro but Josephine Cookhouse is not on my recommendation list to anyone.
Society Brasserie also not doing it for me any more. We live a stones throw and was very excited at the beginning. The food was great and the interior and atmosphere was great. But lately we feel the food is not so great and lacks something. The menu too is a bit boring. That said the Onion soup is a keeper. Fish and chips which i always have was however over cooke. desserts also lacking something. My query is have they changed chefs? Because the quality at the beginning has gone down.
I’ve been off Societi Bistro in the city for a while. Societi Brasserie in Tokai was a much needed addition to the area, and is very well supported, and unfortunately when busy, they are understaffed as they have filled both levels with as many tables as possible. I will however return.Delighted by my first meal at Josephines Cookhouse, much warmer and cosier than before, and a great menu, they do seem to be creating individual venues so not just more of the same. We will be back.